Workers get additional pay on Dec. 8 holiday

Workers nationwide are expected to receive an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate this Saturday after Malacañang declared Dec. 8 a special non-working holiday.

According to the Catholic Church, Dec. 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) 7 reminded employers who plan to allow their employees to work on Saturday to pay the additional rate entitled to them.

But Dole 7 Director Johnson Cañete also reminded employees that if they don’t work on the special non-working holiday, they are not entitled to the 30 percent additional rate.

“We are reminding employers to pay an additional 30 percent of workers’ hourly rate on said day for work done in excess of eight hours because that is already an overtime work,” Cañete said.

On Dec. 7, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 10966, which declares Dec. 8 as a special non-working holiday in the country.

Cañete also reminded employers that they are given until Dec. 24 to pay the 13th month pay entitled to their rank-and-file employees.

Under the law on implementation of the 13th month pay, all rank and file employees are entitled to this regardless of the amount of basic salary that they receive in a month.

The 13th month pay is equivalent to an employee’s monthly salary.

Cañete added that helpers or househelps are also entitled to 13th month pay as stated in Republic Act 10361 or the Domestic Workers Act.